New Delhi, March 17 The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a national holiday on the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh's, birth anniversary, which is celebrated as 'Prakash Parv'.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said it was not inclined to entertain the plea of All India Shiromani Singh Sabha, which also sought directions to issue "specific guidelines for the declaration of public or gazetted holidays" in the country.
"Dismissed. Detailed order will come," the bench said.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner organization, submitted that there is currently no policy, and there should be some certainty on how a public holiday is to be decided.
During the hearing, Justice Mehta remarked that there are already many religious holidays in India, and "Let's not add to the number of holidays."
The petition sought appropriate directions to the Centre to "declare the 10th Sikh Guru, 'Guru Gobind Singh Jee', Prakash Parv as a Gazetted/Public Holiday to be observed throughout India, including but not limited to the States/Union Territories of India where Sikhs have a significant population, as well as in the States connected to the life and activities of the Tenth Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singh Jee."
The plea stated that, "in the absence of any guiding principles from any authority regarding the declaration of gazetted holidays in India, the executives, at the behest of political groups in government, declare holidays at their whims and fancies, serving the political purpose of appeasing a particular section of the public."